Days in the Life
by Bexteron
Summary: Series of unrelated one-shots/mini episodes. *Quill* - Gabrielle tries to persuade Xena to try writing. But when her attempts fall flat, she gives up. Afraid that she might have upset her, Xena tries out her Bard skills to write out what Gabrielle means to her. **ON HIATUS**
1. Picnicking

**A/N:**_ Hey guys! This is my first attempt at a one-shot and was prompted by a challenge in the UF Group using the word "Picnicking". Its set after "Is there a Doctor in the house?" but before "Orphan of War", and it also includes my idea of how Gabrielle recieved her season 2 outfit ;D Happy Reading Folks!_

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"Xena? Can we _please_ stop soon? My legs aren't nearly as long as yours and they're burning. And you still haven't told me where we're going!" Gabrielle complained.

Xena slowed Argo, turning her around to circle back to Gabrielle. The bard had stopped; resting her forehead against her staff as she tried to catch her breath. She smiled when she saw the flustered state in which her friend was in. Gabrielle looked as though she'd been running all afternoon. It seemed that even after a year of travelling with her, she still hadn't gotten used to the far stretches of distance they walked daily.

Xena took advantage of the break to look around from atop Argo. As she gazed around the hillside they'd stopped on, her eyes caught sight of a small patch of bright, green grass sitting under a rocky lip. A prime spot for what Xena had planned.

With a smile she slid from Argo's back and took the reins, opting to walk the rest of the way. "Let's go rest over there for a while." She looked up at the sky briefly, sniffing the air. "Better be quick too. It'll rain soon."

Gabrielle looked up. "How do you know that? Its looks like it's going to stay clear to me."

"It's one of my many skills. Now, come on. Before it rains." Xena said, pulling Argo toward the patch of land.

With a shrug, Gabrielle followed behind her. She caught up quickly. As she walked beside Xena, she looked toward the place she'd pointed out. It was a small clearing of grass sheltered by a large lip of rock acting as a roof. As they approached, and Xena tethered Argo's reins to a small tree sticking out from the hill, Gabrielle went to stand on the top of the incline.

The sight took her breath away. She could see for miles; the sun hung suspended far off in the distance like a blazing orb, trying to break free from the endless billows of clouds that confined it. Fallow fields stretched across the distance, the lush greenery of untamed growth spanning as far as her eyes could see. Dotting the land were numerous cedar scrub trees. Looking toward the river, she saw some that reached cross the water of the river they'd passed before their ascent of the hill.

She felt her move next to her, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the natural beauty of the land. "It's so beautiful, Xena. Don't you think so?"

Xena smiled at the awed expression on her friend's face. She looked too. "Yeah, it is." she touched her shoulder and gestured behind them. "C'mon, we can eat and admire the scenery at the same time."

"Eat?" When Xena left her side, Gabrielle frowned. "I thought we were going to the village to get more food? You said we don't have-" The words left her when she turned and saw the small piles of food laid out upon the thin blanket like a picnic. She glanced up at Xena, watching as she sat down and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I lied. Or at least, I lied about the amount we had left. Come on, sit down will you?" Xena said, patting the blanket before reaching out to grab an apple.

Not needing to be asked twice, Gabrielle quickly rushed to sit on the blanket and stared at the food. Not eating all day had made her stomach tight with hunger. Staring at the food, the ambrosial fragrance reached her nose before the food touched her mouth and she could already taste it. It made her mouth water. There were chunks of cooked meat and a bowl filled with juicy looking fruits; violet sweet plums, ripened strawberries and grapes were among them.

Her stomach growled as she reached out and grabbed a chunk of meat. She groaned as she bit into it; savouring the sweet taste of the honey cured meat as she chewed. "Why didn't you tell me we had some left? You knew I was starving!" Gabrielle accused around a mouthful.

Xena grinned. "You would have eaten it all back at the last village if I hadn't saved it. Plus, waiting before having more makes it taste better, doesn't it?"

Gabrielle couldn't reply. She had already inhaled the meat and was already digging into her second piece. Xena shook her head with amusement and looked out at the luscious natural scene.

Not long after they had sought refuge under the rocky cover, sure enough, it had started raining. The smell of the rain mixed with the food created a delicious aromatic smell that filled their nostrils, only making the food smell harder to resist.

As Gabrielle rushed out to collect her scroll satchel, Xena moved to shift Argo closer to their shelter where the tree's canopy acted like a natural covering to protect her from the cold rain. As she ducked back in, Gabrielle dragged the blanket further under the lip and tucked herself deeper into the protective nook when a slight wind threatened to push the rain in.

"Oh no, the blanket is wet!" Gabrielle complained, crawling forward to feel the corners.

"It's fine. A little rain never hurt anyone." Xena said as she wrung the water out of her hair. She reached forward and tugged at the bard's wet clothes, pulling her back to sit next to her. "Here, try some of these. I want to save some of that meat before you nearly eat it all again."

Pushing her soaked fringe out of her eyes, Gabrielle took the swollen dew drop covered strawberry from Xena and bit into it. Its sweet taste burst in her mouth. "Oh my gods…" she sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the lingering juicy tang.

"I take it its good?" Xena guessed.

"Beyond good, Xena. Beyond good."

Xena smirked. "Good. Happy birthday."

Gabrielle opened her eyes. Surprised, she glanced over at Xena who just bit into her apple. The sound of the rain whispering against the grass as it rushed by was the only sound that echoed in the silence between them. "What?"

"I said happy birthday." Xena arched a questioning eyebrow at her. "Are you sure the rain didn't get in your ears?"

Gabrielle sat back on the balls of her feet. "How did you know when my birthday was? I never told you."

"The last time we passed through Potidaea I asked your mother. I considered asking your father, but I get the sense he doesn't like me very much." She chuckled and threw the apple core onto the blanket. "That reminds me. I have a present for you. I know how much you've been going on about getting a new outfit. But with everything going on and you almost dying, I figured you didn't have time to shop. So, I got you this. I was going to give you it when we got to the village, but now seems as good a time as any."

Gabrielle watched, lifting herself to sneak a peek as the warrior princess reached into her saddlebag. Her eyes widened when Xena lifted out a light brown skirt along with a woven, dark green top. She could hardly contain her excitement as they were handed over to her.

"Xena….I don't know what to say."

Xena sat back, waving a hand dismissively. "You don't have to say anything. It's just a present, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle held the garments up to her and looked down. They looked as though they would fit perfectly as she pressed them flush against her body. She had been complaining for weeks that a change of clothes was in order. She hadn't thought the warrior princess had listened. She convinced herself that Xena had resigned herself to blocking out her moans. It seemed not to be the case.

Grinning broadly, she placed them aside and crawled over to her friend; tucking herself into her side. Before Xena could protest, Gabrielle swept her hand across her stomach and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you," she muttered.

Xena chuckled. "For what?"

Gabrielle snuggled deeper into her side, resting her head against the breastplate. As she looked out at the wonderful, natural scene before them, she felt her heart swell with happiness. "For everything."

Xena smiled, dropping her hand to wrap it around the young bard. As she pulled her gently closer she heard Gabrielle's breathing slow into a relaxed pace. "Do you want some more food?" she asked.

Gabrielle shook her head. "No…I think I've had enough. Do you mind if I just lay here? I think I just need to rest for a while. My legs are still killing me."

Xena's mouth lifted up at the corner. "Sure."

Seconds soon turned into minutes and Xena knew when she was asleep. She could feel the gentle rise and fall of Gabrielle's chest against her own. Looking down she could see the bard's eyes closed and her damp fringe was matted against her forehead. Reaching up, she brushed it aside out of her eyes. Not having the heart to move her, Xena succumbed to the undeniable tiredness that washed over her and closed her eyes, listening to the gentle sound of the rain until she too drifted off to join Gabrielle in the realm of Morpheus.


	2. Sabotage

_**A/N**: Hello guys! This is a long-ish one-shot based around a One Word Prompt by the UF group. The word was 'Sabotage'. I wanted to make something funny and kinda "action-y" so I hope it came out alright XD...Its based after Vanishing Act, and Gabrielle's prank at the end is mentioned in my "_For Love's Sake" _multi-chapter story. Hope you like it. Happy Reading Folks! :)_

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_Sabotage:_

_1. Destruction of property or obstruction of normal operations, as by civilians or enemy agents in time of war._

_2. Treacherous action to defeat or hinder a cause or an endeavour; deliberate subversion._

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"What are you doing all the way over there?" Xena asked.

Gabrielle refused to look at her friend. She rolled onto her side, tucking the furs further around her face. "If you can't remember then I'm not going to tell you."

Xena frowned. What was she talking about? "Was it something I said last night? You know I was only joking when I said that the food tasted bad. You cook better than anyone I know, even mother!" she paused for a moment. "Don't tell her I said that."

Gabrielle couldn't help but feel a treacherous smile stretch across her face. She sighed and sat up. Now that she was awake, there was no point in trying to drift back off to sleep, even if she'd only had a couple of hours rest after the incident.

She shivered and rubbed her arms as she looked up at the grey sky. The day was early; the chilly end of winter bit at her skin, but the sun was rising, and she could already feel its subtle warmth. It would soon get hotter.

She looked over at Xena and composed her face, not letting her see her smile. She was still mad at her. The warrior princess had left a mark on her face, she was sure of it. Hours before she had been sleeping peacefully beside her as usual; the fire roaring nearby and the ambience of the woods soothing her further into sleep. She couldn't imagine a better way to drift off. Before settling for the night, they had bought new bedrolls from Xerces's shop; a welcome investment considering the ones they had used for the past couple of years had almost completely reduced to tatters.

She had been tired but calm and happy. Buying something new always cheered her up. But then, after she'd settled into her new bedroll and fallen to sleep, a sharp, stinging pain to her face had woken her. She'd sat up quickly, a hand cupped to her burning cheek wondering what it had been. There had been nobody around; no intruders stalking their little camp site, no impending attack. It was only when she'd heard Xena's light snore that she realized the culprit.

The black haired woman had laid in her bedroll, her arm extended out to where Gabrielle was, albeit slipping with her sudden movement. Looking, Gabrielle realized that Xena had turned over, reaching, but had slapped her in the middle of the night. She'd tried to wake her, to tell her what she'd done, but the events of the day prior had sapped Xena of all energy, and she had only mumbled in her sleep and turned her back to the blonde bard.

Annoyed, Gabrielle had stood and dragged her bedroll a safer distance away, out of arm's reach - the other side of the fire.

"I won't tell her," Gabrielle promised and pulled herself out of bed, stretching.

Xena stared at her, eyeing the almost imperceptible mark on her friend's face. "Been laid funny during the night?" she guessed.

Gabrielle frowned and touched her face self-consciously, wondering how bad her face looked. Xena's blue eyes scrutinized her face. "Yeah, that must've been it," she lied.

She could feel her friend's eyes on her all the time she was rolling up her bed roll. Still, Xena didn't press for answers as she did the same.

Xena shrugged as she helped Gabrielle pack up their belongings, douse the remaining embers of the fire and set off. She noticed Gabrielle was unusually quiet, and she kept touching her cheek, rubbing it as if to soothe it. She racked her brain, searching for an answer. It was obvious that she had done something to Gabrielle, but she couldn't think of what it was. They'd had a good day, and the night hadn't been too bad either.

She looked at the younger woman, biting her lip and wondering why in Tartarus she wouldn't look at her; and how she had ended up on the other side of the fire when she'd opened her eyes. She considered asking, but when the sound of deep laughter and the scraping of a sword being drawn reached her ears, she stopped.

Gabrielle noticed when Xena stopped dead, her eyes narrowed and her mouth drawn into a thin line. She looked out at the road before them and saw it empty, but Gabrielle knew better than to judge by what she saw and what was really there. Slinking up beside Xena, Gabrielle tightened her grip on her staff.

"How may are there?" she asked quietly.

"At least five," Xena pulled her sword free and pushed Argo away to trot a small distance behind them. She squinted at the road before them and saw a small group of leather clad, scruffy men come into sight; each man had a red bandana around some part of them – the upper arm, wrapped around the forehead or wrist. They looked heavily armed, and held themselves with a swagger that betrayed overconfidence.

When they saw the two women standing in the road, weapons ready, the biggest of the men laughed heartily, holding his stomach as if doing so was causing him pain. Xena sneered. She'd show him pain soon.

He stepped forward, swinging his sword around in his hand lazily, while the men behind him grinned and elbowed each other. "What brings you pretty ladies out here this early in the morning?" he asked, his voice laced with condescension. His eyes held a lecherous look as they travelled over Xena's body.

Xena sniffed the air in his direction and acted repulsed. "The stench. I thought something must have died…but I see now that the cause of it is much worse."

The man's smile fell, and the men behind him laughed harder. "You wouldn't be talking to me like that if you knew who I was!" he said, raising his sword to point it threateningly at her.

"I don't care who you are, I just care about where you think you're going with that big bag of money there. It obviously doesn't belong to you." Xena said, gesturing to the bag that the rest of his gang were noticeably fighting over; each tugging on it to seek possession.

Mr Confident scratched his chin in thought, his smile returning. "You seem like a smart woman. Perhaps we can come to some kind of arrangement."

Gabrielle quirked an eyebrow. "Is he seriously going to try and persuade you to let him go?" she murmured so only Xena could hear.

Xena smiled and looked back at the man. But he took her smile the wrong way and stepped closer, looking hopeful. "Sure, we can sort something out," she said. "You give me that money, put away your swords, and I'll let you walk away from here unscathed."

"I don't think so. This money was…hard earned," he said thoughtfully and smiled.

Xena was losing her patience for the man. He was joking about robbing innocent people. Gabrielle seemed to be getting annoyed too. Her hands gripped the staff tighter, as though she couldn't wait to wipe the smirk off the man's face.

"Last chance," Xena warned, swinging her sword. "Cough up the money and live, or don't and…well, you get where I'm going with this."

Mr Confident twirled his sword in answer, his smile broad and arrogant. The rest of the men followed suit, drawing their swords with enthusiastic chuckles.

Xena shrugged. "Have it your way."

The man rushed forward with a cry, brandishing his sword. Xena lifted hers, deflecting his attack with one of her own and knocked him back with a well-aimed kick to his chest. He stumbled back with a grunt, tripping and falling into one of the other men, knocking them both over.

Gabrielle planted her feet firmly as the two men rushed her. She waited, her muscles tensed as they looked, smirking at her as though they couldn't believe she was going to fight. It irked her and instead of waiting, she hit first. She thrust the staff end up, knocking the closest to her in the chest and swiped down, hitting his hand, knocking his sword out of his grasp. While he was shaking his hand in pain, the other snapped out of his overconfident stance and rushed forward. His sword slammed into her staff when she lifted it defensively and she deflected his attack, spun and used the end to clip behind his ankles, tripping him.

Recovering from her attack, the other man grabbed his sword and ran toward her, his face contorted in anger. He swung his sword wildly, hoping to hit her with his random attacks. Gabrielle used his anger against him, allowing him to get close enough with his thrusting attack so she could trap him, swinging her staff around to capture his sword between her and her body. He tried pulling away, tugging roughly with growing annoyance.

Xena countered the men's attacks quickly, their swords slicing against each other as they clashed. Tiring of the repetitive hits, Xena deflected one man's hits and rolled into the other, getting close enough to head butt him with an audible crack. He fell to his knees, smiled dazedly before finally falling face first onto the ground.

Hearing the leader approaching behind her, she lifted her sword over her head and down behind her, effectively blocking his attack to her back. Pushing away, she knocked him back and turned on her heel, smashing the flat side of the blade against his knees. The impact swept him off his feet. He landed with a crack when his face smashed into the hard ground.

Mr Confident rose. His face was covered in red, the blood oozing from in nose. Losing what was left of his arrogant swagger, he rushed forward waving his sword. His blade sliced through the air, whizzing over her head with an audible _whoosh_. His anger made him sloppy; his form dropped and Xena thought his attacks might as well have been made by a blind man. She repelled every hit easily, countering with one of her own. Knocking his sword from his hand, Xena dealt a punch to his gut and lifted her knee, smashing it into his chin. His teeth clashed together sickly. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

Gabrielle's remaining enemy followed suit, falling unconscious on his back with bruises on his face.

Xena stood, pointing to the last of the five still holding the money. "You! Stay there!" she shouted. His eyes widened for a second in fear and he turned, pushing himself into gear. She sighed. "Why do they always run?"

Following after him, Xena ran, propelling herself into a series of backflips sounding her familiar war cry until she enclosed on his retreating figure. Flipping over him, she came to stand before the man. He barely had time to blink before she snapped her hands up and performed the pinch.

The man made a strangled noise as he fell to his knees, gasping and face quickly turning red. "I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain. You'll be dead in thirty seconds unless you tell me who you all are and who you took that money from," Xena warned.

Gabrielle panted as she rushed to stand next to Xena, watching as the man struggled to find words.

"Makos…that man…robbed family up the road." Blood started trickling from his nose. He gasped again before continuing. "Left alive…but took money."

"You took a family's money?" Gabrielle asked, disgusted.

"Where are they?" Xena asked firmly. He seemed to struggle for a moment, the pain dazing him. She grabbed his collar and shook him hard. "Tell me!"

"Still at the…house. Still…there… _please_! Can't _breathe_!"

Sighing, she released the pinch on him. "Which house?"

The man gasped for air as though resurfacing from being under water. Clutching his neck gingerly, he looked up. "Just up the road. It's a lonely cottage…with a small farm."

"Thanks," Xena said. Before he could run she snapped her hand forward and punched him, effectively knocking him out.

Gabrielle picked the bag of money up off the floor when it fell out of his hands and weighed it in her own. "This feels heavy. Did they steal _all_ the family's money?"

Xena took the bag and looked inside. "Looks like it. Come on, let's return it," she said and whistled to Argo.

~X~

The cottage wasn't too far away. The man had said it was just up the road, and within five minutes of riding Argo, they found it. The building stood alone; beautiful and tidy. From the outside it looked as though an attack never happened. That the men hadn't come and robbed the family of everything they had. But upon closer inspection, Xena found furniture turned over and the family cowering together in the main room.

When the father saw the two women step into the house, Xena could tell he was trying to retain whatever courage he had left to protect his family from further intruders. While his wife and children huddled together in the furthest corner, he stood tall, a frown deepening the crease in his already lined forehead and a fire poker shaking unsteadily in his hands.

"Leave us! We have nothing to offer you that hasn't already been taken!" he shouted.

Xena approached, her hand lifted in a conciliatory gesture. "Relax; we're not here to rob you. We're here to return what was taken from you."

"_Lies_!" the man swung.

Xena reached out, capturing the makeshift weapon in her hand. "Gabrielle, give him the money," she said, trying not to let her annoyance leak into her voice.

Gabrielle stepped forward, holding up the bag for them all to see. Seeing the father's eyes widen, she smiled and passed it to him, knowing that he wouldn't attack again.

The father reached out for the money. His face immediately brightened when he looked inside. "But why? How?"

"We ran into a group of men who looked as though they'd been up to no good. After a nice _conversation_ we found out that the money they had didn't belong to them." She gestured to the bag of money. "It's yours."

The father stared at the two women for a long moment, as though he was trying to figure out whether they were lying or not, but then decided to accept it. They had helped after all. He smiled brightly, letting go of the poker to safely step forward and pull both women into a hug. Xena and Gabrielle exchanged surprised glances before he let go.

"Welcome, you are most welcome. Thank you so much for returning this." He looked over his shoulder at his family and waved them over. "It's okay; these women have returned what was taken from us."

Slow and unsure, the young woman rose to her feet, keeping her son and daughter safely behind her. "Are you sure, Akakios?" she asked shakily.

Akakios nodded and showed her the bag of money. As one the family turned their smiles on Xena and Gabrielle. The woman stepped forward. "Thank you so much. If there is anything we can do to repay you?"

Xena lifted her hand. "No, it's alright. We just wanted to return this to the rightful owner."

"Please, there must be _something_?"

Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other for a moment, identical smiles gracing their lips. Gabrielle turned to the man. "Do you have a bath?"

Akakios shook his head. "No. But there is a spring pool not far from here behind the house. You could use that?"

Xena nodded. "That will do. We haven't bathed in days. Thank you."

~X~

Gabrielle sighed pleasantly as she lowered her body below the surface of the water and moved toward the falling water. She closed her eyes, brushing her fingers through her hair as it rushed over her head; the bubbles massaged the soreness she felt in her shoulders and relieved the ache in her back from another night on the ground.

"The water feels great," she said.

"I just wish the water was a little warmer," Xena griped. "But it's better than nothing. I can't remember the last time I had a proper bath."

"Well, one disadvantage of bathing in a spring. No soap."

Xena grinned. "Advantage. You can't sit on it."

Gabrielle stuck her tongue out. "It was fortunate that we were able to stop those men before they robbed someone else. They might think twice before trying it again."

"Hopefully," Xena agreed. "They didn't seem the type. They seemed more arrogant, inexperienced adolescents than full grown thieves."

The water rippled as Gabrielle moved closer. "You think it might have been their first time?"

"Their swords looked new; there wasn't a knick on a single one. No evidence of them being previously used. I would bet they've never fought with swords before."

"Then why fight? Why not just give up the money and back up if they knew they wouldn't win?"

Xena shrugged. "Pride…arrogance…you saw how their leader looked. He didn't expect us to be so…_experienced_."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "Boys,"

Smiling, Xena turned and started swimming away, unaware that she was splashing Gabrielle in her wake.

Watching Xena's figure surfing the water, Gabrielle glanced around the edge of the spring and found her friend's armour nearby. With a grin, she waded over carefully and lifted the breastplate. She considered hiding it, but realizing that Xena would know straight away that it was gone struck the plan from her thoughts. Instead she grabbed her boots and shifted them so they were closer to the muddy bank. Grabbing a handful of the sludge, Gabrielle planted it deeply in the boots and moved back.

_That'll teach her to slap me and get away with it_, Gabrielle thought as she washed the tell-tale mud from her hands.

After a few minutes, Xena gasped for air as the lifted her head from the water and swam back. "I'm done now. You coming?"

"Yeah, I'm finished too," Gabrielle replied with a smirk.

~X~

Gabrielle found it extremely difficult to retain her normal composure as the warrior princess walked awkwardly, frowned every now and then during conversation. As she walked, Xena would pull a face that would have Gabrielle within dangerous territory, ripe with hardly contained laughter. She hid her smile discreetly behind her hand, nodding every now and then whenever Xena asked a question or commented on what happened earlier.

Controlling the urge to burst out into a fit of giggles, Gabrielle kept her voice steady. "Is there something wrong, Xena?"

"What do you mean?"

Gabrielle gestured to her friend's boots. "You seem to be walking funny."

Xena stopped, looking at her boots. "I don't know what's wrong. I thought it was just the ground, but…" she gave Argo's reins to her friend and lifted her foot, sliding off her boot; the mud oozed out and slopped to the floor with a distinct slap.

"What the-? How did the mud get in the boots? I was sure I left them far enough away from the bank."

Gabrielle feigned innocence. "Maybe you didn't? Sometimes you can forget about the things you've done." She watched with barely contained laughter as Xena hopped on one foot, smacking the base of the boot to get the rest of the mud out.

"I thought they felt strange when I put them on." She looked up. "Did you know about this?"

"Of course not."

Xena quirked an eyebrow at her. "Really?"

Gabrielle smiled radiantly. "Would I do that to you?" she asked and rubbed her cheek.

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Please R&R :3


	3. Shop

_**A/N:** Hey guys! This little one-shot was created from the one word prompt challenge in the UF group. One of the words was "Shop" so I decided to make this one about Gabrielle using her haggling skills. It is set shortly after "_One Against an Army_". The idea had been floating around in my head for a while on how Gabrielle recieved her replacement boots after Xena ruined her others. xD Happy Reading!_

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"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Xena's eyebrow lifted.

Gabrielle smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, I think I will. I just need to make sure to be careful on my ankle. At least the poison has cleared from my system."

Xena frowned. "Yes. What about your injury?" she asked, pulling back Gabrielle's shirt slightly.

"_Do you mind?"_ Gabrielle protested, swatting at Xena's hand. She looked around quickly; making sure nobody was looking at them. She sighed and moved the shirt carefully so her friend could see. "There, see, it's fine. The skin is healing up."

Xena pursed her lips for a moment as she pushed aside the bandage on her friend's chest and looked at the wound. The skin was red, the skin puckered where it had healed when the arrow had pierced her.

Her eyes flicked up to Gabrielle's and she nodded. "Yeah. It's healing well. I'm just glad you're okay. I almost lost you."

Xena's heart raced painfully when she remembered how terrified she had been when Gabrielle had been shot with what happened to have been a poisoned arrow. At first she had been worried, but it had escalated into fear when she had travelled to Tripolis in search for a cure and found none. Gabrielle's health had deteriorated within hours. She had been brave – had already accepted her fate, but Xena had felt like a child, so helpless and little in comparison when she hadn't been able to help her. It had been a stroke of luck that one of the Persian soldiers had been carrying a cure with them; otherwise Gabrielle would be lost to her. It had been a week since it happened, but Xena woke up every hour just to make sure the bard still breathed as she lay next to her.

The thought of losing her made her heart ache deeply.

Gabrielle's admonishing expression softened when she saw the haunted look swimming in the woman's blue eyes. She released her shirt and reached up to press her finger between Xena's eyebrows, erasing the frown that appeared there. She smiled. "You won't lose me Xena. Never."

Xena reached up and held her hand, squeezing it once before releasing it. "Never," she agreed. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds, as if confirming the statement silently before Xena walked passed her, patting Argo's hide. "Come on," she said.

"She still doesn't like me though," Gabrielle whined, earning a snicker from the caramel-coloured warhorse.

"After everything that's happened, I think she's at least grown to tolerate you."

"Oh I do feel honoured," Gabrielle said sarcastically, but she approached the horse anyway.

With help from Xena, she managed to find her seat atop the horse. She laid her staff on the knees and whipped the reins playfully, grinning. "Yah horsie!" When the horse didn't move she sighed and handed the reins to Xena before leaning forward to speak to Argo. "At least humour me once in a while."

Xena smirked when the horse snorted in response. She tugged at the reins, pulling the horse into motion. "She doesn't like to be '_Yah-ed'_."

"Mm-hmm," was Gabrielle's mumbled response.

They were quiet for a while as they travelled over the hills. The morning crispness soon turned into a burning afternoon, the heat pressing on both women as they trekked across the plain. Seeing a village not too far away, Xena decided to hop up and join the bard atop Argo, situating herself before her. As she kicked Argo into a steady gallop, she felt Gabrielle's arms wrap around her waist from behind.

"Don't go to sleep or you might fall off," she joked, peering over her shoulder at the tired blonde.

"I won't," Gabrielle promised through a yawn. She laid her head gently against Xena's back, using it as a cushion. "Though it would have been easier to stay awake if you'd allowed me to sleep in."

"You said I owed you boots," Xena shrugged. "I want to get there before the shops close."

"Yeah," Gabrielle said as she looked down at the sorry looking boots she wore. One was still fine to wear, but the other had a sliced laces and she'd had to tie a leather strap around it just to keep it on her foot. "Hey, where are we going anyway?"

"There's a small village a few miles outside Corinth. We'll be there soon."

After a few hours ride, Xena and Gabrielle finally made it to the small village in question. When they arrived the streets were bustling with people, the place crowded with bodies of busy traders and villages trying to get the best deals. The traders' shouts lifted over the sound of the chattering masses, aiming to voice their wares to anyone that would listen and not miss out the ones walking by.

Seeing no way around the people, Xena dismounted and tied Argo in a stable near the entrance. After paying a young attendant to keep her and brush her down, Xena turned to the blonde still atop her. She reached out with her arms outstretched, waiting for her to dismount. Gabrielle was careful, sliding down cautiously and fell into Xena's expecting arms.

"Thanks," she smiled, standing her staff beside her for support.

"No problem." When Xena let go, she began looking around the village with a hand shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. She spotted a sign dangling near a shop's doorway. "I think there's a shoemaker over there. We should be able to get you some replacement boots. Those ones are done for," she said, pointing at them.

"Thanks to you," Gabrielle teased.

Xena noticed as she started walking, using the staff to lean on, she still winced a little whenever she put weight on her left foot. The boot was loose enough to allow it movement and not restrict it, but the sprain had been bad. She'd stopped asking how Gabrielle was faring with it because whenever she asked, Gabrielle would just shrug it off. She was more stubborn about it now that the day she had sprained it. Still, Xena didn't hold her to it.

They made their way through the crowd. As the bodies pushed against each other, all insisting to get to the front or shout their demands over the voices of the others surrounding them, Xena grabbed hold of Gabrielle's hand and led her through them, keeping her close to stop people from knocking into her by accident and injuring her further. Once they were clear Xena let go, gesturing over to the shop she'd seen with a nod of her head.

They spent five minutes in the shop looking around. Gabrielle found herself lost in wonder as she cast her eyes on the wonderful clothes and boots within.

"You do know we're just in here for boots, right?"

"I know, Xena, I know. But have you seen all the boots? I would love to have all these!"

"Yeah, well unfortunately, we only have enough for one pair." Xena raised an eyebrow, watching the bard become entranced by each pair she picked up to look at. She wished she could by them all for her, but they only had enough for one pair. They had to save the rest for food. She went over to wait, but after a couple of minutes of refraining from tapping her foot with impatience, Xena pointed to the boots. "Just pick some will ya?"

"Okay! I'll get…" Gabrielle trailed off, putting a finger to her chin in thought when she stared at the boots.

"_Gabrielle_!" Xena warned.

"These one…I'll get these ones." Gabrielle lifted some boots from a shelf. When Xena tried to take them, Gabrielle pulled them away. "What are you doing?"

"Paying for them, what do you think?"

"Let me get them. I'm much better at haggling than you are."

Xena stared at her in disbelief. "Really? You think you're better?"

"Wanna bet?" Gabrielle challenged, pouting stubbornly.

Xena stared at her for a moment then smiled, shrugging. "Fine. I bet you can't get them any cheaper than fifteen dinars," she proclaimed as she handed her the coin purse.

Gabrielle grinned, her eyes shining at the gamble. "We'll see. What do I get if I win?"

Xena raised an eyebrow at the young woman, seeing the challenge and confidence in her eyes. She shrugged and pointed to Gabrielle's foot. "How about a foot rub?"

The bard's grin got wider as she started walking away. "Prepare to rub my feet, warrior princess," she called over her shoulder.

Moving over to the door, Xena leant against the frame and watched in amusement as the bard began to haggle.

"Please could I have these boots?" Gabrielle asked the old merchant politely.

The man looked at the boots briefly. "Seventeen dinars."

"Seventeen dinars? Please, my whole outfit is worth seventeen dinars. Do you really think I'm going to fall for that?"

The man frowned. "Fifteen then."

Gabrielle sighed, pretending to be weary to the situation. "Do you take me for a fool? I've seen these boots in another town and they didn't cost nearly as much as the ones your trying to sell to me at an extortionate price." She stepped back. "I could go back, spend my money there?"

"No! Erm," the man looked carefully over his shoulder before looking back at her. "I'll go as low as ten. My wife would kill me if she knew."

Gabrielle bit her lip, pretending to think. She stepped back with a fake apologetic look on her face. "Sorry, I'm desperate for boots but not that desperate. Come on Xena-"

"Wait…" When Gabrielle paused, turning to look over her shoulder, the man hesitated at the counter. He stared at the boots for a long time and sighed. "I can see you're a bargaining woman. Name your price."

Gabrielle glanced up at Xena and flashed a smile which Xena had to refrain from returning in front of the merchant. Hobbling back, Gabrielle opened the coin purse and pulled out some coins. She looked them over for a second and held them out. "Seven dinars. Take it or leave it."

The man gnawed his lip, his brow furrowing in annoyance. Xena thought he was going to turn her down, but when she saw the defeated look on his face the corner of her mouth lifted up and a crooked smile. Gabrielle had him.

"You drive a hard bargain, young lady." The man sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck with a thick hand before releasing a loud puff of air through his lips. "Fine. Seven dinars then." He took the money, mumbling under his breath as Gabrielle returned to Xena.

They waited till they were outside before cracking a smile. "I never knew you could be so ruthless, Gabrielle," Xena joked.

"I just wanted to save us some money. I've seen your haggling skills, Xena, and it normally doesn't end well for the trader. I think that man might favour his nose the way it is." Gabrielle lifted her new boots up, smiling as she pivoted them around in her hand. "They look almost identical to my others."

"They'll do." Xena took the coin purse and looked inside. "We have enough for supplies. Thanks to you we could even get a room for the night and a meal thanks to you."

Gabrielle's face brightened and hobbled toward the inn nearby. "Thanks to me," she echoed. "Pretty soon I'll be able to quote you and your _many skills_."

Xena chuckled, dropping a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Learn how to make a flip first without a staff, _and_ without it resorting in a sprained ankle, and I might be inclined to agree with you."

"Fine, but first?" Gabrielle pointed to her foot and smiled impishly. "You lost. You now owe me a foot rub."

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Please R&R :D


	4. Torment

_**A/N:** Hey guys! Here's another one-shot prompted by a one word challenge in the UF group. I wanted to bring out a more "playful/immature" Xena in this one, just to play with it and see how it went. Enjoy. Happy Reading! :D_

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Xena stretched and yawned where she sat upon the hillside. She was bored. She and Gabrielle were taking a much needed rest after saving a burning village from a group of bandits that morning. All had gone well; nobody died, all the bandits had been captured and sent to the local jail, and though most of the houses had suffered severe burns, Xena and Gabrielle had managed with help to douse the flames with help of their friend, Joxer. Before leaving the houses were deemed salvageable and the thankful villagers had set about making repairs.

It was a minor job. The bandits had been sloppy, there had been no order in their rampage, and they were cowards. Most of them had fled with their tails between their legs once they'd seen Xena and Gabrielle riding into town. Hardly a challenge.

Still, it had served as something to do. Lately most of her time seemed to be taken up by going out to collect firewood and water for when Gabrielle cooked. It was boring, too domestic and mundane for her. She was used to action, used to the tensing of her muscles when she got ready to block an attack and counter. She loved the sound of metal as her sword crashed into another and the chase that ensued when the enemy tried to escape.

She looked around from where she sat. It was a bright and sunny day, the air warm as it pressed gently against her skin. The slight breeze ruffled the flyaway hairs not pinned back. In theory it was a perfect day, a wonderful day to go out and do something; to save another village or foil the plan of some evil schemer. But she wasn't needed. It seemed that, after the bumpy morning, for once the world seemed to relax.

Xena sighed and sat up resting her elbows on her knees. Not far away, Gabrielle was sat a little distance away down the hill, scratching away at her scroll as usual. Xena pouted. She had been writing for ages. She guessed she was writing about what happened back at the village, but there wasn't much to write about. It was a small in and out job. What more could there be to it?

Being careful not to make any noise, Xena started shuffling down the hill until she was close enough to look over her shoulder a safe distance away. She could see Gabrielle brushing the feather of her quill against her chin as she thought. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous. At least Gabrielle had something to do, while Xena was sat lounging around waiting for someone to be in need of her services.

She combed her fingers through the blades of grass while she watched the blonde bard finally find her thoughts and start scratching away again.

"What you writing?"

Gabrielle didn't look up as she answered. "Just about this morning," she said distractedly.

Xena nodded to herself, squinting at the sun. "I hope you're adding yourself in there."

"You were the hero,"

"So were you. If not for you those villagers would have been stuck in that burning house." Xena pulled a fistful of grass up and opened her palm, watching as the grass was blown away. "You helped them escape."

"Yes, but you fought off all those bandits single handed."

"They were hardly worth the effort. Joxer managed with them. Even my mother could have kicked them all out of the village herself," Xena joked.

Gabrielle stopped for a moment to look up, a smile on her face. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she chuckled, and went back to writing.

Xena smiled at the girl's laugh, but her smile grew bigger when she noticed that a piece of grass she'd pulled up to be blown away had landed on her friend's head. Gabrielle didn't know. She was too busy writing to notice, and the grass was too light to feel. Feeling a mischievous grin stretch across her face, Xena pulled up some more grass.

Quietly and carefully, she leaned forward and sprinkled it on her friend's head. It took a lot of energy not to chuckle as the girl's head became more and more covered. It only became harder not to laugh when Gabrielle sneezed and it fell onto her scroll.

She watched as Gabrielle sat up, brushing the grass away with the back of her hand and carried on. Xena continued pulling up grass and placing it on her friend's head until the blonde caught onto her antics.

"Xena? I'm trying to write."

"I'm not doing anything," Xena said innocently, resting back against the hill with her hands laced behind her head.

"I know when you're doing something. I can feel it." Gabrielle shook her head and sighed as the grass fell from her hair. She plucked the grass from her locks and turned where she sat, throwing it back at the warrior princess. "I know you too well."

They pulled faces at each other until Gabrielle turned back around again. A few minutes passed, but Xena still couldn't relax. Keeping still wasn't for her. She pulled herself to her feet and walked around, swinging her sword and trying out a few practice swings. She even brushed down Argo and threw her chakram around a couple of times, watching as it rebounded off the trees before it returned to her hand.

Normally their spare time was filled up by shopping or sparring. They had already sent Joxer to get enough food to last them until they got to another village, and they had already exercised what energy they usually used to spar with on the bandits. Xena considered having a rest, a quick nap before they started moving again, but she wasn't tired and forcing herself to often made her irritable.

She narrowed her eyes at the young bard, her jealousy making her impatient. Luckily for Gabrielle she had a way to pass the time. Xena often caught sight of her writing whenever she had the chance. Xena had tried it but she wasn't a romantic poet like Gabrielle was. No words came to her when she tried writing, and she had nothing to write about in particular, unlike Gabrielle. She couldn't lose herself as she wrote. Her mind stayed strictly focused in reality to protect herself and her best friend.

Xena sighed, resting her hands on her hips and quirked an eyebrow in Gabrielle's direction. "Are you almost done yet?"

"Do we have somewhere to be?" Gabrielle answered.

"Well, no, but I was just wondering. You've been writing for nearly an hour now."

Gabrielle smiled up at Xena, a twinkle in her eye. "You don't rush art, and writing is an art." She pointed to everything around them. "Like this, the earth is art. Nature is beautiful, can you see it? The clouds, the trees, the sky? Soak it in Xena. Take the time we have to appreciate it."

Xena frowned as she looked up and saw big puffs of clouds floating lazily across the blue. "A cloud is just a cloud."

"You're not seeing it for what it is."

Xena watched a particularly massive cloud drift by and made a face. "A big cotton ball?" she asked.

"Yes, Xena, a big ball of cotton," Gabrielle said sardonically. She shook her head continued looking over her scroll.

Utterly bored and with no means to entertain herself, Xena moved to sneak behind Gabrielle with a twig she found off the ground. She knew it was wrong and immature, but it was rare to find herself in a situation where nobody needed her or nobody came running down the hill screaming for help. Lowering herself into a crouch, Xena lifted the twig and dangled it near Gabrielle's ear. She stifled a laugh as she shook it and the leaves tickled Gabrielle's ear, making her reach up to scratch it.

After a few more times, Gabrielle sighed and rolled up her scroll. "Okay, I'm finished."

"Really?"

"No thanks to your tormenting," Gabrielle accused around a playful scowl. She popped her scroll into her satchel and moved to sit next to Xena, snatching the twig from her grasp. "Y'know, when people read my scrolls in years to come, they are going to read about the great warrior princess on the road to redemption, saving lives and giving back. Maybe I should add in the immature side of you too so they'll know what you were really like?"

Xena grinned. "How do you think people would react to that?" she asked, pulling up some grass and sprinkling it in her friend's face.

Gabrielle closed her eyes in resignation, waiting until she was finished. When she looked at her, she raised an eyebrow. "I think they might be shocked to know you have one."

"Hey, I'm only huma-"

Xena's reply was cut short when Gabrielle threw a handful of grass at her and it landed in her mouth. The sound of her friend's laughter sounded over her spitting it out, plucking it from her tongue. "Did you just?" she asked, but Gabrielle was already running away down the hill, laughing manically.

Xena smiled evilly, spitting out the rest of the grass and rising to her feet. Watching the blonde run down the hill away from her, Xena brushed the grass off and followed after her. The steepness of the hill acted like a propellant, giving her more speed and momentum. It wasn't long before she was right behind her.

"Xena! Come on, please, it was revenge. You started it!" Gabrielle shouted over her shoulder.

Xena smiled, hearing the panic and smile in her friend's voice. "And I'll finish it."

Gabrielle screamed as Xena came behind her and grabbed her, yanking the satchel from her shoulder. She felt the bard wriggle in her grasp and let her go, holding the satchel up high.

Gabrielle hopped up and down, reaching. "Okay, Xena, come on. Give me my scrolls back."

"You want 'em?" Xena asked, dangling them in front of her friend's face. "Come get 'em."

Gabrielle pouted, placing her hands on her hips. She smiled suddenly. "Fine, you keep them. But if you do then I won't cook anymore. I'll get Joxer to do it instead."

Xena's eyes widened at the threat. "You wouldn't dare!"

Gabrielle stepped forward until her face was inches from Xena's. Her green eyes flashed with the challenge. "Try me."

They stared at each other, eyes narrowed, neither backing down. But when the sound of Joxer's armour clunking reached their ears Xena felt her resolve start to dissolve. It was too big a risk to take. She sighed and lowered her hand, dropping the satchel into her friend's waiting hand. Gabrielle smirked as she looped the strap over her shoulder.

"Hey guys!" Joxer said as he came down the hill. "I got the stuff you wanted!" The clunking of his armour got louder upon his approach. He blushed when he saw Gabrielle and his voice became quiet. "Oh, hey, Gabby. Is that a new hairdo? Is grass in?"

"What?"

Xena chuckled as Gabrielle reached up and brushed her fingers through her hair, pulling out more grass. She shot a glare at Xena and turned her smile on Joxer. "Oh, Joxer? I'm not feeling up to cooking tonight. Would you like to cook later instead? I know Xena just _loves_ the rabbit stew you make."

Gabrielle smirked when she saw Xena's grin fall from her face as Joxer jumped at the chance. "Of course, sure I will! I love making that. It's my specialty, y'know? Family recipe, but shh, don't tell anyone," he said and set off back up the hill, his armour clanking and his excited laughter lingering behind.

Xena moved to her friend's side. "What have you done?"

"You shouldn't have started tormenting me." Gabrielle said easily. "It's what you get, Xena. You reap what you sow."

"He's cooking for you too!" Xena said. The only consolation Xena had was in hearing the sudden realization followed by colourful profanities from Gabrielle's mouth as she followed their friend up the hill.

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Please R&R if you can :)


	5. Painting

_A/N: Hey guys! This one-shot chapter was created based on the prompt word, "Painting" for a sunday challenge. I wanted to have a little fun with this one, which explains why its a little long. But I hope you like it. It's based after the "Comedy of Eros" episode and wanted to play about with a little subtext in it. This chapter is dedicated to **JenesisX** because she is just awesome and secretly hope to read more of her work. Any fans of Final Fantasy VII should check her out in my favs. Happy Reading Folks! :)_

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Xena dashed into the village astride Argo, Gabrielle clinging on tightly from behind as though she was afraid she may fall off. She was breathless; her lungs burned from the air rushing into them when she'd sped across the countryside with no other goal other than getting to _her_. As soon as they reached the inn, Xena slid off the side of her horse and ran up to the door, pushing it aside and almost forcing it off its hinges.

"_Mother_!" she shouted. Xena's stomach lurched in panic as she looked around. The inn was empty, not only of people but of furniture too. Tables, chairs, cupboards – they had all gone. There was no sign of Cyrene. "Mother where are you?"

Gabrielle burst in behind her, panting. She took a quick glance around the inside of the inn and gasped. "What happened here? Burglary?"

Xena narrowed her eyes. She stepped further inside, her eyes flicking from side to side to keep a look out for any potential attack. She stopped suddenly, shaking her head. "No, it can't be. They would have taken more than the tables and chairs. There's silverware on the counter, see it? That's worth more. If it was a burglary, mother would have tried to stop them. But there's no sign of any kind of struggle."

Gabrielle moved passed her slowly, being careful not to make any noise as she inspected the counter. "There's money behind here too." She made a face and looked back over at Xena. "I don't like this."

"Me neither."

Xena moved toward the stairs with purpose in her steps. "Moth-"

"Would you quiet down? You'll wake the neighbours. It's still pretty early you know?" Cyrene said as she came around the corner and descended the stairs with a grin.

Relief flooded through Xena at the sight of her mother alive and unharmed. But then frustration took its place. She frowned at the older woman as she walked nonchalantly down the stairs as though nothing was wrong. "Mother, what are you doing? What's going on here?" she reached into her corset and pulled out a note, waving it. "Your message said it was an emergency!"

"It is an emergency! Oh, hi Gabrielle," she said as she kissed her daughter's forehead and moved to do the same to the younger woman.

"Hi Cyrene," Gabrielle smiled. She gestured around them at the room. "What happened here?"

"All the stuff has been moved for the job I want you to do."

Xena placed her hands on her hips, pursing her lips. She arched an eyebrow at her, awaiting the answer that would justify her empty stomach, aching muscles, and mad dash across the plains. "And what job is this?"

Cyrene grinned as she reached beside the fireplace and hoisted a couple of buckets of paint into the air. "This place needs redecorating!"

~X~

Xena mumbled under her breath as she slapped the paintbrush against the wall, sending paint splattering everywhere.

"Xena, please be careful," Cyrene chided. "The walls want painting, not the floor. And just look at you," Cyrene said as she pulled out a rag. She dabbed the end onto her tongue and reached toward her daughter, wiping her cheek.

"Mom!" Xena protested, pulling away and waving her hand. She scowled at the woman. "I'm not five anymore. I don't need you to wash my face for me. And I _am_ being careful."

Cyrene stood back to inspect the patch of wall that her daughter had started painting. Hearing her sigh, Xena turned with her eyebrow raised. "What?"

Her mother pointed randomly to the wall. "Well….nothing." she moved over to Gabrielle and cooed in delight as she watched the blonde over her shoulder as she painted. "Look at that! It's lovely, Gabrielle!"

Gabrielle blushed as she dragged the brush across the wall. "It's alright, Cyrene," she said.

"It's great. Don't you think it's great, Xena?"

Xena didn't look. Instead she just carried on swiping her own wall with her brush; making globs of paint fly everywhere. "Yeah…guess," she mumbled.

Cyrene placed her hands on her hips and frowned at her daughter. "Xena, come and have a look."

Sighing, Xena turned on her heel to face the two women. Her mother stared at her with challenge, while Gabrielle just smiled. As she approached, she felt the weight of her mother's gaze, daring her to say or do anything to express her annoyance at having to do something mundane. Xena looked at the wall and felt a small twinge of jealousy. Gabrielle had almost finished her wall and had used long, straight strokes to create an even coating, hiding all of the imperfections that had shown on the wall before. Now the wall looked completely new.

She frowned, pointing to the wall with her dripping brush. "You missed a bit," she said.

Gabrielle looked, narrowing her eyes to inspect it. "Where?"

Xena gestured to the wall, waving her brush without direction. "I saw a bit…looked…not done. What? I thought I did!" she added when Cyrene to frown at her. "Hey, you don't have the right to look at me like that. Do know just how much panic you caused us? I thought you were being attacked or something. If I'd known you just wanted us over to do some chores, I wouldn't have bothered."

"And that precisely why I didn't tell you, Xena. You wouldn't have come if I had just told you I wanted the inn decorated." Cyrene grinned broadly. "Nice to know you love your mother enough to stay regardless of such an ordinary chore."

Xena's blush worsened when she looked up and saw Gabrielle grinning while she pretended to paint, her eyes on the wall. She looked away and frowned. "Why couldn't you have just gotten one of the villagers to do it?"

Cyrene waved her hand and walked over to her counter. Xena recognized her mother's sign of frustration. As Cyrene dragged a washcloth over the counter's surface, though it was clear it was clean enough, she muttered under her breath. "Boys have gone off hunting, and the women are harvesting. I'm hardly getting any service lately. This is why I decided to use today to redecorate."

Xena knew she was lying when she heard the false note in her mother's words and the tight smile on her face. Lowering her paintbrush into her bucket, Xena went over to her. She reached out to place her hand over her mother's, stilling her frantic cleaning. When Cyrene looked up at her, she wore an expression that said she knew she was caught.

"Are you going to tell me the truth?"

The silence seemed to have caught Gabrielle's attention. She came over too, interested and curious. Cyrene sighed at both of them. She pulled her hand back and threw the cloth into the bucket of water behind her.

"Fine, I know there's no getting passed you, Xena." She took a deep breath and drummed her fingers on the counter. "Did you see the building as you entered the village?"

Xena frowned, searching her memory for the building her mother spoke of. But Gabrielle got there first.

"You mean the one with the painted sign on it? The red one?" Gabrielle pursed her lips for a moment as she thought. "The Red Rooster?"

"That's the one. It just opened up a few weeks ago. It's a new inn."

"Another inn in the village?" Xena asked. The realization dawned on her and she smiled wryly. A new inn would explain the sudden want to redecorate. But she couldn't understand why she would want hers and Gabrielle's help when she could hire anyone. They were warriors, not decorators. Though she thought Gabrielle seemed annoyingly handy with a brush. "You want to give the place a new paint job to spruce it up? I can understand that, but why us?"

Cyrene looked up seriously then. "I think the place is being run by a warlord. Since it opened, not only has it been stealing my customers, but I've seen some dangerous looking men going in and out of that place."

"A warlord?" Gabrielle echoed.

"What kind of armour are they wearing? Is there any insignia on it that might identify them?" Xena asked, patting down her own armour, and making sure her chakram still hung on its clasp at her hip.

Cyrene shook her head. "Not that I saw. They just wear studded leather armours and pants, and every single one I've seen was armed." Seeing her daughter and friend moving toward the door, Cyrene reached out and grabbed Xena's arm. "What do you think they're doing here?"

Xena arched an eyebrow. "If there is a warlord in the village and they aren't attacking it, either they are planning to, or it could be a reforming warlord. Whatever the reason, I'm going to find out."

Gabrielle grabbed her staff from where she'd stood it near the door. She leaned against it as she thought. "So, what's the plan? If it's a reforming warlord, how do we get in and find out without resorting to violence?"

Xena glanced at the two women looking at her, waiting expectantly for the answer. Gabrielle was right. If the warlord had been in the village for a few weeks and nobody had turned up dead, or there had been no news of them starting fights, it would be counterproductive for them to just waltz in and start a riot without a cause. She looked around and she grinned as her eyes fell upon the handle sticking out of the bucket she had been using moments ago.

"Shall we see if the Red Rooster needs a spot of paint?"

~X~

"What do you want?"

The man stared at them when he opened the door; eyes wide with confusion and a look upon his face that told them he didn't know what to make of the women before him. Xena though, as she assessed him, that he couldn't be older than twenty-five summers old. His long black hair was tied back at the nape of his neck and his face still held the look of a boy. The hard look in his eyes was obviously forced; as if he was trying to put on the look of a fierce warrior.

Xena noticed when his expression soon turned into suspicion when the heel of his hand moved to rest on his sword. His eyes tightened, as though some part of him knew who they were and he was trying to remember where he'd seen them.

Fearing that they would be discovered, Xena pushed her chest out and stretched her mouth into a sultry smile. She lifted the bucket she held up to the same height as her open neckline of the dress she wore, a borrowed article of clothing for their little investigation. Her mother had given them both one to wear on top of their normal attire. Gabrielle had been given one of Cyrene's old dresses; it was the colour of a lush forest, and brushed the ground with its hem. The material contrasted well with her eyes. The one Xena wore was a little shorter; the edges brushed along her knees, and the corset pushed up her chest, forcing the man to look and distract him.

"Come now. Surely you have some work for a couple of women looking for work? We would be very grateful." She caught his eyes and put on her best smouldering look, making his cheeks turn pink. Her smile grew wider. "Perhaps your walls could use a coat of paint? It'll attract more customers."

"Well…I-I…" the man licked his lips. His eyes flickered nervously at the paint, to her chest and back to her eyes again. "Maybe…they could?" he said it like a question, as if he expected her to know the answer.

Leaning in closer, Xena brought her face close to his. She could feel the heat radiating from his face and saw the pink in his cheeks grow deeper in colour. Lowering her voice to a breathy tone, Xena arched an eyebrow at the man. "Would you like me to…check?"

Apparently lost for words, the man shrugged, finding it difficult to look away. Breaking his gaze, Xena turned her head slightly and spoke to Gabrielle. "I don't think he can help us, Gabrielle."

Playing her part, Gabrielle bowed her head, double handing the handle of the bucket of paint she held. She looked up through her eyelashes at the man stood in the door way and bit her lip innocently, watching as his face turned scarlet. "Does that mean we won't be able to work? But we need money. What will mother cook tonight? We'll starve!"

Xena turned to Gabrielle, lifting her free hand to place upon her cheek. She watched, impressed as Gabrielle fell further into her role and started weeping. She knew the man was watching and smiled to herself as she heard him shift uncomfortably at their scene. She pulled Gabrielle into a hug with her free arm and brushed her fingers through her hair soothingly. "I know, Gabrielle, I know. We'll just have to go without again…"

As they started to walk away, Xena counted silently in her head. She made it to three before the man called for them to wait and, after an uncomfortable look around, waved for them to go inside. On their way back, both held back the urge to smile. Their little ploy had worked.

"I didn't think he would fall for it," Gabrielle said out the corner of her mouth.

"Never underestimate the powerful combination of a woman and her assets," Xena winked back with a knowing smile.

Gabrielle glanced at her friend's chest and quickly looked up. She shook her head with amusement as they approached the man. "Told you they were dangerous," she whispered.

The man, whose name they quickly learned to be Remus, closed the door behind them and urged them to follow. As they walked through the inn, Xena played the role of innocent farm girl, making sure to look as though she was following obediently behind, but inspected with her ever knowing eyes. In the main room, she had counted ten warriors and along the balcony, five more, all laughing and drinking.

"There are ten in here, Xena," Gabrielle whispered.

Looking up carefully, Xena gestured to the men along the balcony. "There's five more up there, totalling in fifteen that we can see."

Seeing them walk through the threshold, one of the men on the balcony caught Xena's eye and jeered drunkenly at her before burping loudly, leant too far forward, and fell with a painful crash into the main room. The rest of them laughed as his eyes closed and he stopped moving.

"Fourteen," Gabrielle amended.

Remus shook his head at the man and gave him a kick. "Idiot! That's the third time he's done that since we took ov-…bought this place." He looked at Xena and Gabrielle who just nodded their heads. But his slip didn't pass Xena.

She glanced up at him. "Are you the owner?"

Remus shook his head. "No, Marcus is. If you would just wait here, I'll speak with him and see if we are in need of your…" he looked at the bucket of paint she held and smiled. He reached up and brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Services…"

Gabrielle peeked up and watched as the young soldier walked away, his cheeks flushed, but a new look in his eyes that hadn't been there when he'd opened the door to them. "Uh oh…I think another one might have fallen for you, Xena. You've got to be careful."

Xena smirked. She arched an eyebrow at the young blonde. "Jealous?"

Gabrielle frowned. "Jealous of what?"

But Xena didn't have time to reply before she felt a hand drop heavily on her shoulder. Every fibre of her being told her to throw the owner over her shoulder, but they were undercover and needed to see this, _Marcus_ to find out what he wanted and what he was doing with the inn. Throwing a man over her shoulder hardly spoke "farm girl". Calmly, Xena turned and followed the hand up to another soldier. He swayed where he stood, and the smell that emanated from him was enough to make Xena's eyes water.

She reached up and grabbed the cuff of his sleeve. Lifting it from her shoulder, she pushed him back. "Keep your hands to yourself, if you don't mind."

"Feisty…I like it." The man took a hearty swig of his ale and burped. Xena had to close her eyes and wave her hand in front of her face to waft away the horrible stench that lingered in the space between them. The man smiled lopsidedly as he tried to focus his bloodshot eyes on her. "Lovely lady. What're ye doin' in 'ere? Lookin' for some fun are ye?""

"None of your business," Xena said, turning her attention away from the drunken lout.

"C'mon, love, show us what yer 'ere for!" the man said and landed a full handed slap on Xena's backside.

Gabrielle gasped at the man's behaviour and genuinely feared for his life when she saw a familiar fire burning in Xena's eyes. Noticing her friend tightening her hands into fists, Gabrielle stepped forward and took Xena's hand in her own, giving it a gentle squeeze. If she blew up now, their cover would be blown and they wouldn't find out what Marcus wants with the inn.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid you will have to find your fun elsewhere," she said with a smile. She glanced up at Xena and saw her staring at her, surprised. "Right?"

Xena cleared her throat and looked back at the man. The expression on his face was one of shock. He looked how she felt. But, if Gabrielle wanted to play with her role, so could she. Loosening her fist, Xena twined her fingers with Gabrielle's and squeezed back. "Right." Xena looked at the man. "Move on. There's nothing for you here."

The man swayed where he stood again, attempting to focus his eyes on the two women before him. At first he didn't look convinced, but as Gabrielle rested her head on Xena's shoulder and smiled at the man, his own fell from his face. He frowned, waving his free hand at them. "Pah! Bloody sapphists. Shoulda known as soon as ye came through the door…" he trailed off. He downed the rest of his drink and stumbled over to the counter for another.

Gabrielle released her breath. "Phew, that was close. You almost hit him."

"I wasn't going to hit…" Xena paused, watching as Gabrielle raised an accusing eyebrow at her. "Okay, I was. But I didn't."

"No," Gabrielle lifted their joined hands and smiled. "You didn't."

"Quick thinking, Gabrielle." Xena smirked. She raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you like role-playing." Gabrielle's reply came only in the form of a sly smile. She let go and cast her eyes toward the door which two men entered.

Xena looked too and immediately recognized the men that came back with Remus. The man next to him was Marcus. He stood the same height as Xena, and his muscles made him look as though he'd have trouble getting through the door. The last time she had seen him, he had fought alongside her on her ship when she still held the title, Destroyer of Nations. She wondered silently, as she bit the inside of her lip, whether or not he would be able to recognize her after years of being apart. Even through the disguise she wore. The last time she had seen him; his hair had been darker and longer. But now, his black hair was streaked with grey and fell around his face, almost covering the long scar ran down the left side of his face, starting at his temple and disappearing under his jawline.

"Xena?" Gabrielle whispered. "Do you know him?"

Xena swallowed. "Yeah, and he wasn't happy the last time I saw him."

"Why?"

"See that scar on his face?" Gabrielle nodded. Xena took a deep breath. "I gave him it."

Remus stopped before them first and shot a smile at Xena, one which she returned as innocently as she could. There was a chance Marcus would remember her, but there was also the off chance he wouldn't. As he approached, Xena noticed his left eye had a kind of milky film over it. It was most likely that he had gone blind in that eye, giving her and Gabrielle half a chance.

"Remus tells me you ladies are looking for work?" Marcus said in a deep, gravelly tenor. He looked to both women with his good eye, waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Well, work on the farm has been slow, and we need money to buy meat from the markets," Xena said, changing her voice slightly to give it a lighter lilt. The change wasn't lost on Remus. She noticed his eyes tighten just a little.

"We were wondering, because the inn is still new, whether you would need a couple of extra hands around decorating?" Gabrielle asked, giving Marcus the same look she had given Remus.

Marcus narrowed his eyes at both women. Xena watched him carefully, scrutinizing every flick of his gaze, every muscle twitch to judge whether he knew who they were. She almost thought he recognized her when he stepped silently towards her and reached out with his calloused hand to brush her cheek. She recognized the leering look in his eye and realized he had no idea.

Without taking his sight from her, he spoke to Remus over his shoulder. "Is this the one you told me about?"

"Aye, sir. That's the one," Remus replied. At first, when he had come in with Marcus, he had smiled at her. But now, as he looked at her and Marcus's hand upon her cheek, he wore a deadpan expression. She realized he either suspected something or he was jealous.

Marcus grinned at Xena and nodded his head. As Remus went over to her, Xena noticed Marcus turn his good eye on Gabrielle. His mouth stretched into a wide grin as he looked her over.

"Such a beautiful woman. Tell me, what is your name, young one?"

Gabrielle hesitated. She glanced over at Xena and saw her nod before she was led away to another room with Remus. She cleared her throat, making sure to remember everything Xena had told her before they had approached the inn. She smiled up at the man that stood almost two heads taller than her. "My name is Gabrielle."

"Welcome, Gabrielle, to The Red Rooster. My name is Marcus and I own this inn," Marcus said politely. He brushed his fingers across her cheek and she did her best not to flinch away. "You want a job, you say? Perhaps we could talk more in my office?"

Gabrielle glanced around at her surroundings. If she tried to escape without Xena, even with her fighting skills, she wouldn't get far. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she looked back up at the man staring down at her expectantly and nodded. "Sure."

Marcus grinned. "Wonderful."

~X~

Xena felt the weight of his gaze as she stood, her back to him, while he closed the door behind him. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the almost empty room. All that occupied the small space was a table, and oil lamp and a bed. She guessed it to be one of the inn bedrooms, and from the way Remus threw his coat onto the bed beside her, it was his.

"This room looks like it could use a lick of paint," Xena said, listening to his movement carefully. She didn't know if he suspected her identity yet, or how much he knew. She decided to keep playing to see how long she could keep it up. She brushed her fingertips along the wall. "It looks bare."

Suddenly, Remus's hands were around her waist, his body pressed up along her back. He was so close she could feel his rapid heartbeat and his hot breath on her neck. "There's only one thing I want to see bare in this room."

Turning in his hold, Xena played on his desire. She stroked his collar with her fingertips, moving them up until she brushed her hand over his shoulder. Resting his hands on her hips, Remus leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"Ah! Did you ask Marcus about any jobs for us?" Remus looked almost too far gone in his lust to concentrate on what she said. His eyes devoured her chest, his hands tightened. "Remus?"

"Yes, yes…I proposed for you and your friend work here for him," he said distractedly. He shuddered, his eyes hooded with desire. "You look too delicious to be a farm girl," he said as he leaned forward to brush his lips over the exposed skin of her shoulder.

"And what did he say?"

"He said yes. As long as you both pay a fealty to the inn."

Xena frowned. "How?"

Remus chuckled against her skin. "You're paying yours right now, to me." Moving his lips over her throat, Remus planted more kisses along her skin. He ran his hand around her neck and held her as he captured her mouth in a kiss. "Gods! You taste like ambrosia!"

Unaffected, Xena pushed. "Tell me. Is this just a normal inn?"

"What do you mean?" Remus pulled back, his eyes narrowing slightly.

She shrugged and feigned innocence. "Well, if I'm going to be working here, I need to know. So I don't do anything wrong," she added worry into her voice.

Remus grabbed her hand and made her follow him to the edge of his bed. Lifting his fingers under her chin, he made her look at him and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. As long as you follow the rules and keep quiet, you won't do anything wrong. Marcus employs mercenaries, bandits and slave traders here. This is where they come to meet out of the watchful gaze of the town jails. He wants to build an army to take down Xena and her friends. And he is not kind, not after what she did to him. He wants revenge!"

Xena's blood turned cold. "He wants to build an army?"

Remus mistook her fear for Gabrielle's life, and the lives of her other friends and family for concern over her own life. "Don't worry, love. I'll make sure he doesn't touch you," he smiled.

As he moved in for another kiss, Xena reeled back her hand, tightened it into and fist, and propelled it toward his face, knocking him clean out. Standing, Xena glared down at the unconcious young man lying on his back on the bed.

"You won't touch me either," she sneered and left the room.

~X~

"Gabrielle? Why don't you come sit?" Marcus asked. When she looked, he beckoned her to him, crooking his index finger. He sat in a wooden chair near his desk, lounging against it as though he had all the time in the world. He held his strong chin in his hand and smiled at her hesitation. "You look like such a lost little lamb over there. Come here."

Swallowing at the dryness in her throat, Gabrielle moved slowly over to him. Movement was difficult – especially with what she carried. When she reached him, Marcus moved quickly, scooping her around the waist and pulled her up to sit on his lap.

"Ah, see? That's much better isn't it?"

Seeing the tip of the sword poking out from under the hem of her dress where it had hitched up, Gabrielle turned, pushing down the material. Mistaking her actions for something else, Marcus snaked his hand up capture her chin and force her back to look at him. "You don't have to be afraid with me, young one. You don't have to be coy either. You may look innocent, but I bet there's a bad girl just dying to burst out of that pretty dress, am I right?"

He was flirting with her! She didn't know what else to say, so instead of creating cause for suspicion, Gabrielle played her role of sad and innocent farm girl. She nodded meekly. "You said something about a job?"

"Ah, yes." Marcus moved his hand to coil around her waist and pull her closer to him. She felt it when her back pressed up against his broad chest. He was such a big man. As she sat there, his head hung over her as he watched her with his good eye. His hands almost looked big enough to be plates. They were certainly big enough to almost cover her backside. He brushed his hand against her absently as he thought. "What was it you said you were looking for? Painting my inn?"

When she nodded, Marcus laughed. "Gabrielle, by the time I'm finished with what I want to achieve, there won't be any need for this inn anymore."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, this building," he gestured around them, "will all be gone soon, along with the rest of the village."

Gabrielle thought her heart had turned to ice and settle in her stomach. "What?" she squeaked.

"Don't worry, young one. If you play your cards right, I will have a much better job lined up for you. You won't need your farm anymore, or need to scrape for food. I can make sure you are well looked after, if you come with me?"

Worry leaked into her voice. "You're going to destroy the village?" Her thoughts immediately went to Xena and Cyrene. She needed to get away somehow and warn her. Wiggling in her place upon his lap, Gabrielle tried to move away. But Marcus's hand around her and his dagger at her neck stopped her movements.

"Ah, ah, Gabrielle. You don't want to do that, and I don't like to waste such beauty. Now, are we going to come to some agreement, or am I going to have to hurt you?"

Gabrielle swallowed. She contemplated calling for Xena, but she didn't need to. As soon as she thought it, Xena burst into the room in all her splendour. Raising her chakram from its hiding place under her dress, she scowled darkly at the warlord holding her friend. "Let her go, Marcus."

"I recognise that voice. Xena?" Marcus rose from his seat, but didn't release Gabrielle from his grasp. He pulled her up with him, pressing his dagger further into her neck. "What an unpleasant surprise. I'm guessing this little woman I hold is the Gabrielle I've heard so much about over the past couple of years? The Battling Bard, hmm?" He glanced down at her, smiling. "Funny…I expected someone a little…different. She doesn't seem your type, Xena."

"It is an unpleasant surprise," Xena agreed, ignoring the rest of his statement. "I wasn't expecting to see you in my home village."

"That's what made it perfect. I made sure to keep a low profile, so that, when I wanted my revenge, you wouldn't be able to track my movements and the devastation I would deliver on your home would be so swift, you wouldn't be able to prevent it. Perfect plan, no?"

Xena bit the inside of her cheek, taking small steps. Marcus mirrored her movements, circling, neither one of them taking their eyes from one another. She stared at him, but in her peripheral vision, she saw Gabrielle wincing in pain as he dug the blade deeper into her neck. When she looked, Gabrielle caught her eyes. Speaking with her eyes, Xena warned her of her next movements.

"Yes, the perfect plan. Except you forgot one thing."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"ME!"

Before Marcus could blink, Xena threw her chakram. Playing on his weak sight, she sent it to his left, forcing him to follow the weapon, watching as it bounced off objects laid across the room. As soon as his blade was far enough away, Gabrielle reached up, knocking his arm away with her own. Rolling awkwardly away, she turned back and kicked his knee, sending him to his good one. When she was close enough, Xena grabbed her friend and pulled her to her feet roughly.

"It's about time you got here!" Gabrielle scowled, poking her friend's chest accusingly. "Where have you been?"

"Sorry about that. I was...busy. My sword – you still got it?" Gabrielle nodded, shifting awkwardly in her dress. "Good." Xena reached toward Gabrielle's chest, grabbed the edge of the clothing, and ripped the material from her body, revealing Gabrielle's normal green top and brown skirt outfit beneath, and Xena's sword strapped carefully to her right leg.

"You don't waste time, do you, Xena?" Gabrielle asked, surprised and impressed.

Xena glanced up at Gabrielle's amused eyes and, smirking, pulled her sword from its safe place on her friend's leg. "Never."

Gabrielle turned her gaze to the ripped dress on the floor and shook her head. "Your mother is going to kill you."

"She'll get over it."

Turning back to Marcus, she saw him struggling to get to his feet, using his desk for leverage. When her chakram flew in her direction, she reached up and caught it safely in her hand. Ripping her own dress from her body, she threw it to the floor and replaced her chakram to its normal place at her hip.

Moving over to him, Xena pointed her sword at his face. "You won't get away with this, Marcus. It was a good plan. But like every other warlord, you're arrogant and let it be your downfall. Get to your feet."

Marcus stared at her for a moment and laughed heartily. "Do you honestly think you're going to just walk out of here, Xena? You know me. You know I always have a backup plan." Leaving her to frown, Marcus put his fingers to his lips and whistled. Within seconds, Xena heard a stampede of footsteps and counted ten men stood in the doorway, all with mean, determined looks in their eyes and swords in their hands.

As soon as he rose to his feet, dagger in hand, he chuckled. "You forget, Xena. I served under you for years. I watched you; the way you planned, measured people and their actions – how you seemed to almost read their thoughts. I learned quickly to become unreadable, only letting you know what I wanted you to know. Even when you gave me this," – he pointed to his scar – "I never stopped learning about you. I heard of your exploits, your fight against Hercules, and the centaurs-"

"That was over ten years ago!" Xena shouted, pulling Gabrielle closer as he stepped near them. If he was going to strike, she would prefer he hit her and not Gabrielle. She concentrated on keeping him talking as she planned her next move.

"Yes, it was. But it's funny what the mind remembers, isn't it? I remembered how ruthless you were, how brilliant your mind was and how cunning. Your darkness was…alluring."

"I could have almost said that about you. But now all I see is a shadow of the man you used to be – a sad excuse for a warlord-"

"I am twice the man I was back then!" Marcus yelled. "Better! I vowed that I would get my vengeance when you abandoned me and the rest of the crew and slashed my face! I'm almost blind because of you!"

"Strange," Xena tilted her head, looking at the scar indifferently. "I always saw it as an improvement."

It all happened too fast. Screaming, Marcus lunged at her, brandishing his dagger. Before he was close enough, Xena pushed Gabrielle back toward his desk and deflected his attack, knocking the weapon from his hand with the hilt of her sword. As soon as his dagger hit the floor, she kicked it away. In an upwards motion, Xena kicked up the bucket of paint, splashing his face and blinding him. While he frantically wiped at the paint, she used the hilt to deliver heavy blows to his jaw, nose, shoulder, and kicked his chest, sending him tumbling backwards, knocking his head on a shelf behind him.

Before he had even touched the floor, the warriors rushed into the room. With quick waves of her sword, Xena quickly dispatched five of them as they surged toward her. It was clear to her that many, if not all of them, had been drinking. Barely any of them could hold themselves up, never mind their sword. They swayed, waving their swords in her general direction, hoping to land a hit. Deciding to get it over with quickly, Xena grabbed the collars of two of the nearest to her and pulled them close, bashing their heads together, leaving them to fall unconscious on the floor.

The remaining three men that stood in the doorway looked at each other uncertainly, each wearing an expression of concern. They stood there, holding their swords tightly, but the with the way their bodies unconsciously swayed, as if the earth was moving beneath their feet, told her that it wouldn't take much to take them down.

Giving them no chance, Xena rushed them. Deflecting the middle man's sword, she threw her shoulder into his stomach, instantly winding him. She dealt a punch to his jaw and tripped another, turning quickly on her knee to take out the last one with her sword, swiping it behind his ankles. He fell hard, hitting his head heavily on the floor. None of them moved as she rose to her feet again.

"Xena!"

Rushing over to her friend, Xena assisted her in tying up a semi-conscious Marcus with the dresses. "Nice use for the dresses, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle shrugged and sighed longingly as she finished off tying the material tightly around the warlord's hands. "It's a shame. I liked that dress."

"It _did_ suit you," Xena agreed. When Gabrielle shot her a surprise look, Xena frowned, embarrassed. "_What_?"

"Nothing." Gabrielle smiled and looked at the men lying upon the floor, all either moaning in pain, in a drunken stupor, or unconscious. "What about the rest of them?" she asked.

Xena didn't need to look to know she was talking about the men they had seen on the balcony on their way in. "I checked. Took out two, but the rest were too drunk to remember their own names and fell asleep. I don't know if their hangovers are going to be as bad as theirs though," she said, gesturing to the men on the floor.

"Maybe not," Gabrielle grinned, she nodded to Marcus, and moved back slightly as he opened his eyes to peer up at them through hair dripping with yellow paint. "What about him?"

"I think it's time for him to visit a nice, cold cell."

~X~

Xena hitched up her shoulders, feeling her mother's glare burn holes into the back of her neck. She pretended not to notice as she focused on finishing the patch of wall before her. She kept her ears pricked, listening to Gabrielle trying to reason with her about the fates of Cyrene's dresses.

"Cyrene, it was necessary to the mission. I feel as disappointed too, I liked the dresses. But the men had swords-"

"Did they cut the dresses?" Cyrene interrupted.

"Well, no, but-"

"No!" There was a long pause before Xena heard her mother sigh in resignation. "I'm sorry. I suppose, they _were_ old…and I really shouldn't have expected much when Xena said you were going to use them for a mission."

"Yes, it was a…sacrifice of sorts. They were important, and we'll never forget your kindness in letting us use them. Thanks to you and your dresses, we were able to sneak into the inn and find out what was going on."

Cyrene looked around the inn and smiled, watching the patrons that sat at the tables she had moved back to their places where the paint had dried. She nodded. "Everything is back to normal. You say it was a warlord then? I was right?"

Xena looked over her shoulder. "He was sent away, along with his men. They won't see daylight for a long time. He was someone I used to know."

"Why am I not surprised?" Cyrene said.

Rolling her eyes, Xena returned to the wall. After a few moments, she finished the wall with one last stroke and stepped back to admire her work. "All done!"

Unsure, Cyrene went over and inspected the wall. When she was finished, she reached up and pulled her daughter into a hug, smiling broadly. "Great work, daughter! It looks wonderful! Worlds better than it did this morning."

Xena's chest filled with pride as her mother walked away and Gabrielle took her place. "Well?" she asked the blonde, hardly able to contain her smile. "What do you think?"

Gabrielle first looked up at her, then the wall, making a show of looking it over. Xena watched as a strange looked passed the young woman's features and she stood back, her hands on her hips "What's wrong?"

Gabrielle pointed to the wall. "You missed a bit."

Eyes wide, Xena's smile fell and she glanced at the wall; looking all over for the bit Gabrielle mentioned. But no matter how closely she looked, she couldn't see anything. "Where? I can't see-" Her words broke off when she looked up and saw the blonde racing for the door, her laughter lingering in the air. When she turned, Xena saw the biggest smile on Gabrielle's face and felt one stretch across her own.

"Gabrielle!"

* * *

_Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope you liked it. Any comments/reviews are welcome. If there are any issues regarding spelling, grammar, or Con-Crit, please inform me in a PM. :D Thanks for your support!_


	6. Quill

_**A/N:** Hey guys! Here's another one-shot inspired by the UF challenge word, 'Pencil'. For the one-shot I used the word quill because it was more fitting to the series. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. It's set after "In Sickness and in Hell", and there's a bit of subtexty fluff in it, so...yeah. Happy Reading! :)_

* * *

"C'mon, Xena," Gabrielle moaned. "Just try it. You never know…you might like it."

Xena frowned at the teasing tone of her young friend and turned away, directing her attention upon her horse again. She had been stood in the stable for the best part of a candle mark, brushing down Argo's coat. The instructions she had given the stable boy seemed to have gone unheeded; it was as though he had just taken off her saddle and put her in one of the stalls. But after the fight that had broken out over a couple of drunks earlier, she couldn't hold it against him. One of the men in the brawl had been the young boy's brother, and he'd run out to defend him or take him home, she didn't know which.

Now, because of that time consuming ordeal, Argo had been stripped of her daily brush down. After putting Argo through her paces earlier, the horse deserved to be properly looked after. She owed it to Argo for all the times she'd helped and been there as her constant companion, much like Gabrielle, especially after the incident with the Scythian army. Xena had been more than a little scared and confused when her beloved warhorse had avoided her when she and Gabrielle had gotten sick. The event had sent her straight into the grasp of a warlord. She had thought that maybe Argo had grown tired of her, but Gabrielle assured her that she would never leave her side, just like her.

Xena sighed.

The bard really meant it when she wouldn't leave her side. She had been asking a favour of her for most of the day. At first, Xena would have listened and complied, but what the young blonde wanted her to do both surprised and annoyed her somewhat. But the hopeful look in Gabrielle's eyes was almost too much for the warrior to bear. Every time she looked at her, Xena found a part of herself crumbling under the soft gaze that seemed to command her to give in to her will. Instead of looking, Xena did her best to force her gaze away; if she didn't look, she wouldn't cave.

She dragged the brush across Argo's back, ignoring the eyes she could feel pressing into the back of her neck. "I don't think so, Gabrielle. That's more your field of expertise – I wouldn't be any good," she said.

She heard Gabrielle's footsteps approach until the blonde was stood beside her. "Nonsense. Anyone can do it, Xena." Gabrielle paused for a moment, looking the warrior princess up and down when a thought came to her. "You did learn. You _can_ do it…can't you?"

Xena blushed, her hand stilled as she looked at her. "It's not a question of whether I can or can't! I just…" she trailed off, going back to brushing. "I just don't want to."

"When was the last time you did it?"

"Gabrielle!"

"What? I was only asking. I was just thinking. If it's been a while, I don't know. You've taught me a few things…maybe I could teach you?"

"I can't believe we're even having this conversation," Xena said dryly. She shook her head, glancing at Gabrielle again. "Look, you stick to what you do best, and I'll stick to what I do best, okay? That way there won't be any confusion."

"Who's confused here?" Gabrielle asked innocently.

Resisting the urge to smile, Xena turned back to Argo. "No"

She heard Gabrielle sigh and watched the young blonde as she moved to the window. Even from where she was stood grooming Argo, Xena could see out of the window.

The sun was just falling on the horizon, bathing the earth in its last rays; the red and gold shades of the autumn leaves glowed as light passed through them. They fluttered gently as the warm, summer breeze caressed them. The sun spilled into the stable through the arched window, bathing Gabrielle's face in the soft, golden light. Xena could barely look as she saw a flicker of sadness appear on her friend's face, yet for it to disappear just as quickly as she continued to gaze out.

Xena knew how much it meant to her. Gabrielle spent most of her waking life writing – she was a bard, after all. It's what they do. But, lately, Xena felt that her companion had lost her concentration or inspirational spark to write. It was as though she didn't want to do it as much, not that she could blame her. After everything that happened in Chin between them, their children and Gabrielle almost dying in the lava pit, even Xena felt depressed. She had more will to watch over her friend than anything else and had become a little overprotective in the process. She was still trying to break the bad habit she had developed. She didn't want everything to revert back to the way it had been when they first met, though sometimes, Xena wondered what it would have been life if the evil that had touched their life the way it had.

Would Gabrielle still be the same woman if she hadn't lost her blood innocence in Britannia, been forced to give up her child, or left in Greece with the doubt that Xena had put there to fester into jealousy while she went to Chin? Perhaps, but the world would have always left its mark on her one way or another. With everything she had gone through during their travels, Xena remained in awe of how her friend could still walk around, bearing the scars that she had been dealt, and still offer kindness and compassion to those she met, changing their life the way she had changed hers.

"You're right, Xena. We do have our own strengths. I shouldn't try and force you to do something you don't want to." Gabrielle turned to her and smiled, though Xena noticed it didn't touch her eyes. "I'll, um, leave you to Argo and go to bed. The sun is almost down and I'm tired, so…"

"Yeah," Xena cleared her throat. "Sure, I don't know when I'll be up."

An awkwardness hung in the air as both women stared at each other. While Xena cleared her throat, Gabrielle moved away from the window, walking her staff along with her. She nodded, patted Argo and squeezed Xena's forearm before heading toward the door. As she left, Xena stepped away from the warhorse and put the brush back into the saddle bag. She sat heavily on an upturned bucket and sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

Why did Gabrielle want Xena to write so badly all of a sudden? It felt like a puzzle to her. Though, now that she thought about it, Gabrielle had taken quite an interest in trying to make her write or get her to read some of the scrolls she has written lately. She didn't know if it was because of what happened between her and Hope and she was still coming to terms with it, or if it was something else.

Hearing Argo snort, Xena looked up. "What? Don't look at me like that. I haven't done anything wrong. I just…I don't write, Argo." The horse whickered and hoofed the ground in front of her. "

Xena couldn't hide the sliver of guilt she felt creeping up on her. Over the years, Gabrielle had written numerous scrolls about their exploits – many of which had copies made of them and were archived the libraries in Greece for others to read. Gabrielle had once said that she would rather live the adventures they have, rather than tell them, but she constantly wrote before they went to sleep, recounting their missions in the embellishing way she did.

Would it be so bad if Xena picked up a quill to write something, even for Gabrielle? She admitted that she wasn't one for words. Most of her statements were made on the end of a sword or when she was compromising to make the best of a situation. She was no good at expressing her feelings through ink. She had tried to tell Gabrielle how much their friendship meant to her over the years, but instead, the words would freeze on her tongue and she'd just give Gabrielle a hug.

"What do you think I should do, girl?" she asked, looking up at Argo.

The horse neighed, flapping her lips and shook her mane, looking over at the bag Xena had left sitting against the wall opposite her stall. Xena narrowed her eyes at the bag.

"Fine, I'll give it a go. Sometimes I think you two team up on me, y'know?" she said. She stood and walked over to it and looked inside. Along with some other belongings there was a waterskin and an extra dagger.

"There's no parchment in here. But there are….apples," Xena arched an eyebrow at the mare and held one out for her. "Thanks for your help," she said sarcastically.

While the horse whickered happily and munched on the piece of fruit, Xena rubbed her chin in thought, wondering where she could get some parchment and ink. She smiled as she looked out the window and saw the inn where they were staying.

~X~

Gabrielle turned over in the bed, pulling the sheet further around her face. As she stretched her hand out under the covers, patting, she felt a noticeable emptiness in the space beside her. She wondered if Xena was sleeping right on the edge. She opened her eyes, yawning as she did and blinked until her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The sun was not yet up, but from the bruised looking sky she guessed it wouldn't take long. There was no light in the room and wouldn't be for a while. She could only guess that it was dawn seeing as she woke by herself without provocation.

"Xena?" she said tiredly. She yawned again and lifted herself up onto her elbows, pulling back the covers. "Xe-Xena?"

Jumping from the bed, Gabrielle pulled back the covers the rest of the way. Even in the restricted light, she couldn't see Xena's outline on the mattress, nor was her armour laid out on the dresser where she'd put it the night before.

Gabrielle paced at the foot of the bed. Her first instinct was to panic. She was alone - Xena was nowhere in the room. She would tell her if she was going anywhere, right? If there was trouble, Xena would have woken her up for her own safety or to help. So where was she?

She paused in her pacing, her heart turning to stone. Was she angry with her for something? Perhaps she'd pushed Xena too far yesterday by asking her to write something. Was that it? She dragged a hand down her face. She knew how much reading and writing annoyed Xena, why did she have to push so thoughtlessly? The idea had just popped into her mind the day before when she had visited the theatre in the middle of the town. Seeing the stories come to life had lit a spark in her imagination. She had wanted to see if she could encourage Xena too, spread her love for writing.

It had been so long since she had last written that she felt she might have just gotten caught up in the excitement over the whole thing, and at the same time, she had brought up one of the subjects Xena wasn't confident in.

_Damn my pride_, she thought as she moved to the window. Why did she have to keep doing things like this? She cringed, remembering the look on Xena's face when she'd brought up the subject of getting her to write. She ran a hand through her long hair, clenching the tips in her hand. The next time she saw her she would apologize, promising never to bring it up again. It felt as though, even years after the day they met, the fire that resided within her to write still blazed like a star, but that was no excuse to drag Xena into it. They liked different things and even if she could change it, Gabrielle didn't think she could bring herself to do that.

She frowned as she leaned on the window sill and looked out toward the stables. There was a light still on inside. From where she stood, Gabrielle could see the orange glow from the lamps bathing a dark figure slumped over in the stable, unmoving.

"Xena…?" she breathed. Her blood turned to ice.

Without hesitation or thought, Gabrielle turned and wrenched open the door. She left, bounding down the stairs with abandon, taking no care that she was in her nightshift or to tiptoe and spare the other residents within the building the noise she made. Her heart was in her throat the whole time she ran from the inn and made her way over to the stable. She feared the worst.

If Xena was dead because she felt she had been forced to sleep outside to avoid an argument with her, then it was Gabrielle's fault. She knew she should have just dropped it. She would never forgive herself if she had caused her best friend's death over something as silly as writing.

Upon entering the stable, Gabrielle found Argo sleeping, her legs curled under her. Nothing seemed to be out of place since the previous night. There were no signs of a struggle or a possible scuffle, nor was there any blood on the hay covering the floor.

"Xena? Xena, are you all right?" Gabrielle said, as she approached her friend.

Xena was sat on a hay bale; her body slumped over a crate covered with a blanket and her head resting on her crossed arms. She waited with her heart on the edge, her breathing hollow and panicked until she heard the soft, familiar sound of Xena's snoring. She lowered to a crouch next to the crate and smiled, realizing her panic had all been for nothing.

Xena was asleep. Gabrielle couldn't help but notice how utterly relaxed and innocent she looked as she slept. Her mouth fell agape slightly, all the muscles in her face were all relaxed, rather than the tenseness she seemed to hold when awake. She looked almost childish as she slept, dead to the world. Reaching up, Gabrielle pushed her fingers across Xena's forehead, brushing the errant hair that fell across her closed eyes.

It was when Xena mumbled in her sleep and turned over that Gabrielle finally saw what lay on the blanket covered crate. She didn't know how she hadn't seen it all when she'd first stepped foot in the stable. There was scrunched up pieces of parchment thrown to the floor surrounding Xena, an empty inkwell knocked onto its side and a quill hanging limply from between the warrior's fingers. But that wasn't what caught her attention. It was the piece of parchment that fluttered slowly to the ground when Xena moved in her sleep.

Gabrielle reached over and picked it up, holding before her. She barely read a couple of lines before she smiled and sniffed to keep herself from crying.

Xena seemed to react to the sound and shot up from the hay, drawing her sword quickly. She stood, swaying from her abrupt wake. "Gabrielle?" she said sleepily upon seeing the blonde on her knees on the floor. She saw a tear escape from her eye and trickle down her cheek. Seeing that there were no enemies around, she sheathed her weapon and crouched before her best friend, resting her hands on Gabrielle's shoulders. "What's wrong?"

When Gabrielle lifted what she held, Xena felt her heart squeeze and her stomach flutter in fear. She blushed. "Oh, that. Um, Gabrielle…I know it's not good…it's not finished-" she stopped when Gabrielle shook her head silently.

"No, it's…" When she lifted her head, Gabrielle's eyes where shimmering with unshed tears and her cheeks had tinged pink from emotion. "You wrote this? All of this?" she asked.

Xena sat back on her heels and rubbed her neck with embarrassment, looking away. She cleared her throat. "Y-yeah. When you left earlier I felt bad about how…well, how I handled things. I decided to try writing after all to cheer you up." She shrugged then, smiling childishly. "It wasn't so bad," she admitted.

Gabrielle smiled as she settled beside her. She held the parchment up for them both to see and began to read aloud:

"_Over a thousand nights have come and gone,_

_But you have been there all along. _

_My ally, my sister, my love, my life,_

_You will always be my light. _

_When darkness comes you pull me out,_

_Removing all trace of my menacing doubt._

_The time you first asked to come along,_

_I resisted, I detested the responsibility that would come._

_But then you smile, and the feelings that follow,_

_Fill the hole in my heart that evil had left hollow._

_A world without you couldn't be considered,_

_I'd rather stay with you till I'm old and withered._

_I know our journey will eventually end, _

_But I'll always count myself lucky to have you as a friend._

_Because be it in this world and forever,_

_We will always be together."_

Silence filled the stables when she finished reading. Nothing but the gentle morning breeze passed through, rustling and pushing the loose hay across the floor. Neither spoke for such a long time that Xena thought that the young bard had fallen to sleep. But, when she looked down and saw Gabrielle's face, she saw the crystalline tears falling silently down her cheeks. Without a word, Xena looped her arm around her shoulders and pulled the bard into her side.

"It's so beautiful, Xena," Gabrielle whispered into her side. "Thank you."

Xena smiled and rested her chin on Gabrielle's head. "I meant every word. I'm sorry about earlier, Gabrielle. I didn't mean to upset you or get annoyed."

"No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you to do something you don't like to do." Gabrielle looked at the poem again. "It really is beautiful, Xena. I didn't know you had such a way with words."

"I have many skills," Xena replied.

Gabrielle snorted and sat back slightly so she could look up at Xena. She rested her head against the arm supporting her and grinned, arching an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess you do." She looked around at the mess of wasted parchment surrounding the crate. "How many tries did you attempt it?"

Xena looked too. "A few," she said wryly. "But I wanted to make it perfect...I think that's when I fell asleep."

"Ah, Xena," Gabrielle sighed humorously.

They stared at each other for a moment, savouring the silence and the feeling of happiness that had come from something as simple as a poem. To Xena it was just a jumble of words put together, describing what she felt. But to Gabrielle it signified so much more. That her friend had decided to put her feelings down on parchment, when normally she stood there tongue-tied and awkward or abandoned the attempt altogether, meant a lot to her. She would treasure it forever. She didn't need a physical object that served as evidence to prove their friendship and loving bond - she already felt it within every beat of her heart, but she would still keep it.

When she shivered, her skin raising with goosebumps from the cold washing in through the open doors and windows of the stable, Xena frowned, concerned. She pulled Gabrielle up with her, grabbing the blanket she'd used to cover the crate so she could wrap it around her shoulders.

"C'mon, let's get you back inside. You must be freezing in just your night clothes."

Though her skin was cold because of the weather, the warmth from the love she felt pouring from the words in Xena's poem kept her heart warm all the way back to the inn.

* * *

_Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I hope you liked reading this as much as I liked writing it. I wanted to write something a little soft for this one, so I hope that came across. The poem in this chapter is my original, created solely for this one-shot. As usualy, any reviews/comments are greatly appreciated, so are any PMs including issues you may have with spelling/grammar/Con-crit. If you liked reading this, please don't hesitate to check out my other stuff. Thank you again :D_


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